How soon after death is the funeral?

On average, how long after death is the funeral?

Most funerals happen between 3 and 7 days after death. This timeline can often be extended, however since friends and family are mourning, most prefer to have the services as soon as possible to accept the reality of the of the passing and begin moving on. The actual timeline for a funeral varies based on many factors, including:

• Whether the funeral is a burial or cremation

  • The difference in timing here is not the choice of burial or cremation, rather it's the services commonly selected for each type of funeral.

  • For burials, services such as a viewing happen before the burial which makes for a tighter funeral timeline of 3 to 7 days after passing.

  • While cremation funerals can also have a viewing before cremation, it is common to have a "celebration of life" service after cremation occurs. This offers the most flexibility in terms of planning a funeral, since you already have the cremated remains and do not need to worry about decomposition. However, these funerals still tend to occur within a month of someone's passing as people are mourning and wanting to gather together to grieve.

  • If you plan to have a viewing, embalming can extend how much time you have to plan funeral services by up to a week. However you should consult with your funeral director as there are still many factors that can affect this timeline, such as the state of decomposition at the time of embalming. Embalming only delays decomposition, it cannot prevent it entirely.

• If any specific religious or cultural traditions are being followed

  • Religious or cultural traditions may determine the funeral timeline for you. For example, funerals following Jewish or Islamic traditions require that the deceased be buried within 24 hours of passing. However both of these religions also tend to have gathering traditions, such as "sitting shiva", where family and friends come together to honor the deceased and accept the reality of their loss.

• If the death was expected or unexpected

  • If death was expected, then the nursing home, hospice or hospital can fill out the required paperwork and a doctor can certify the death. However if it was unexpected, police may need to get involved for an investigation or an autopsy may need to be performed, both of which can delay the date of the funeral services.

• If the death occurred out of state or out of country

  • When death occurs away from home, the body or the cremated remains will need to be driven or shipped home by a common carrier. Each state has different laws on what paperwork and documentation is required when driving a body across state lines or flying a body from one state to another. Getting this paperwork filled out and approved can delay the funeral timeline. For deaths that occur out of country, the embassy within that country will also need to get involved, which can cause even greater delays as well.

• Any special requests the deceased may have had for their funeral that will make planning longer

  • For example, if the deceased wanted to have a celebration of life at their favorite restaurant, the date of this celebration may need to be delayed until the restaurant is available to be rented out.

• If there are family or friends from out of state or country that will need to travel to the services

  • This is the most common reason funerals are delayed. Trying to accommodate everyone can be tough, stressful and sometimes impossible, which is why some people choose to hold multiple services. For example, having a viewing before cremation and a celebration of life 2 weeks after cremation adds flexibility for travelers to pick what works best for them.

What is the timeline of funeral services after death occurs?

Below is a general timeline of the funeral services you can expect when working with a funeral home. Again, these timelines depend greatly on the type of funeral services you plan and if you intend to follow and specific religious or cultural traditions.

Day 1:

• Death Occurs

• The deceased is picked up by the funeral home staff and transported to the funeral home

• Immediate family and friends are notified of the passing

Day 2 to 3:

• The family gathers the information required for filing a death certificate

• The family makes arrangements with the funeral home and schedules dates for the services to be held

• The family notifies of extended family and friends of any funeral services they've chosen

Day 4 to 7:

• Funeral services are held

• The deceased is laid to rest

• A Celebration of Life service is held, followed by a reception

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